Student Support Services and Counseling

Available student support services

Student Support Services

An array of student support services are available for students who require extra help. Our student support team is made up of three full time teachers, Ali Banchiere, Viviana Saraceno and Katie McDaniel who collectively have extensive backgrounds and degrees including master’s in special education, autism specialty and Orton Gillingham certifications.

The team is also trained in ADHD, high functioning autism, social skills, giftedness, and general classroom support. Because of our innovative student support program, Rainbow is able to admit and support students with special needs on a limited basis. Not only is this wonderful for children with special needs to get the added help, but for the whole community. It is one of the reasons our classrooms run so smoothly – everyone has their needs met.

In addition, it is valuable for children to have friends with many different strengths and challenges. Students in the program have a support plan that is typically a combination of extra classroom support from an assistant, specialized one-on-one time with a professional, and classroom accommodations.

The support team crafts a student support plan, communicates regularly with parents, oversees classroom accommodations, and acts as a liaison with any off-campus providers. The goal is for students in the program to be included in the regular classroom with only limited pull-outs, if needed. The initial fee to be enrolled in the program is $1,800 for the school year, with additional hourly fees for the service plan. Hourly rates are $25/hour for classroom support, and $35 to $45 an hour for one-on-one services.

Counseling Services:

Rainbow has a School Counselor that can help student counseling needs.

Counseling Contact and Process:

Through Rainbow Community School, Will Ray will provide students and families counseling sessions of 30-60 minutes as needed for brief solution-focused concerns/solutions/and outcomes.

Situations or consultations requiring more complex behavioral / mental health concerns or assessment will be referred as appropriate to outside resources or professionals.

Generally Will provides 2 to 3 individual sessions through the school.

Families in many circumstances may wish to continue therapy with him through an official intake meeting at his downtown Asheville office.

Families and students can contact him at Will.Ray@rainbowlearning.org or by request through the student’s classroom teacher.

Will’s Hours On Campus – 2018 – 2019 School Year

Mondays: 7:30 am – 3:30 pm

Wednesdays: 8:00 am – 5:00 pm

Thursdays: 8:00 am – 4:00 pm

Campus Interns

Kaylee Courser – Western Carolina University – Early Childhood Development, primarily working with grades Pre-K through 2Kasie Caswell – Eastern Tennessee State University – Psychology and counseling, primarily working with grades 4-8

Meditation Mondays

If you would like to come to a meditation on Mondays – led by Will – let him know via email or text. First timers should be there at 8:30. Everyone else can arrive at 8:45. Meditation will then go until 10am. Location will either be on campus or at West Asheville Yoga.